Unknown Territory
by ZombieMonkey
Summary: The crew made it home, but at a price. They are on the outskirts of the Alpha Quadrant and know very little of the region. Little do they know, they'll soon find out. More chapters to come.
1. Chapter 1

It was quiet on the Bridge as Ensign Harry Kim sat down in the Captains chair, looking around at his Skelton crew. The bleeps and other normal noises from the consoles were more subdued than normal, but that was fine, he didn't want a busy night, he was too excited about being home; even if they were still lost. This would give him time to think about how they really got here. They had misjudged the parameters of the Trans-warp hub which blasted them more than 25000 light years, dropping them off on the edge of the Alpha Quadrant. This was an uncharted territory, no one had ever ventured this far from home before but he was excited anyway.

He sat there, wondering what he was going to do when he got his first look at Earth after 7 long years of being away. What was going to happen to everyone when they got back, limping into McKinley station, wearing the battle marks along the sleek hull, two large holes where the torpedo bays once stood proud and tall? He knew the debriefings were going to last forever, or it would seem that way to him at least. He could imagine his family, tears streaking down his mothers face as she ran up to him and engulfed him in a bone crushing hug; how his fathers face would shine with pride as he shook his hand, and how Lily…well he didn't know what was going to happen when he saw Lily. It had been too long, she would have been married to someone else by now and he would understand.

As the ship hung in space like a dejected cargo shuttle, he thought about the friends he made on Voyager; Tom and B'Elanna and their daughter Miral, Neelix who had decided at the last minute to stay with Voyager and come to Earth in hopes of starting a new restaurant; Doc and his quest to become more human-like everyday, would he be shut down once he finished his debriefing? Or would Starfleet let him continue to exist, allowing him to work along side the greatest doctors at Starfleet medical? And what about him? Would he get that long deserved promotion and be sent off to another ship? He wanted to stay with his friends, work along side Tom as he would no doubt be a shuttle designer. He shook off those thoughts and continued to gaze out into the view screen, clearing his mind and focusing on the task at hand.

(----)

The hot steamy water nestled along her curves as she slipped gently into the bathtub, sighing with contentment. It had been a long, grueling week and all she wanted to do was sleep until they were home. She was tired of finding her ship stranded in an unknown galaxy, where anything or anyone could come and attack them. All she wanted now was a nice hot cup of real coffee, to sit in her comfy chair in her Indiana home and forget she was a starship captain.

Captain Katheryn Janeway shivered as the water began to cool around the edges, creating small goose bumps to appear on her delicate skin. She thought about what went wrong on the final mission, the one that had gotten them here, just a stone's throw from home. Everything was planned out perfectly, or so she thought. She didn't think that the Borg queen would come rushing out at her one last time before dying at her feet, or that the Queen has sabotaged the trans-warp hub to explode before it was supposed to, leaving them on the edge of the unknown. How was she supposed to know that her older self has secretly planned this? She felt the anger well up inside of her as she sank back into the steaming liquid, sighing as the trauma melted away. _At least they were home_ she thought as she closed her eyes and let the sweet rose scent of the bath water wash over her, _at least we are home._

(-----)

Commander Chakotay stood in front of his view port, staring out into the black void of the universe, thinking hard on what they would be doing now that they were home. He knew there would be an inquiry about his involvement with the Maquis, he may even get prison time, but he didn't care; he was home at last and could finally say goodbye to his long dead friends.

There was one thing that bothered him though, and as he stepped away from the viewport and stood in front of him replicator it hit him; why did Admiral Janeway do what she did? She knew how badly they wanted to get home, she was Kathryn after all, she should have known that after so long of being in an unknown part of the universe all they wanted was too see Earth again, to walk along the shimmering beaches and feel the warm sun on their skin. But no, she had to secretly plan with the Queen Borg, help the Queen sabotage the hub, which in turn destroyed itself too early, almost killing them all.

Luckily they weren't that damaged, the warp engine was offline until B'Elanna was back to her normal self and could fix it, they had impulse but one 1/4 and the weapons were offline ,due to the torpedo bays being blown off the ship as they were thrown out of the hub. He hoped it would be a smooth journey home, though how long it would take was another question.


	2. Chapter 2

Captain Janeway sighed as she slipped her tunic over her head. It had been quiet in the Alpha Quadrant; ever since Voyager arrived at the edge of the quadrant there had been no signs of anything or anyone. She didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but whatever it was she knew her crew was ready. Their warp drive was now 75 fixed, which meant they were that much closer to starting their long journey home. It would take 8 months to reach earth, 4 months to reach the nearest star base.

Earth; the one place she missed the most. The Indiana air on her face as she walked towards her boat, the lake awaiting her like a groom awaited his bride. Katheryn smiled peacefully as the image swam in her mind, but then shook it off and remembered where they were. Looking at her chronometer, she walked towards the door, hoping for something exciting.

"Morning Captain." Commander Chakotay said cordially as Katheryn stepped onto the Bridge and made her way towards him. Giving him one of her famous half smiles, she replied,

"Chakotay. Anything new to report?"

Quirking an eyebrow, he shook his head "Sorry Captain, all is quiet on the western front." Janeway shook her head and tried to not look at his dimples as he smiled and sat down. It was going to be one of those days she thought as she heard the status report and watched the stars snail by at impulse.

Three hours things changed. It all happened so fast; first the mysterious power shortages all over the ship, then the ominous voices which could be heard in lower decks. It was strange how in a few hours the crew went from calm and collected to scared and nervous. Janeway was trying to reassure them that everything was okay when the inventible happened. Ensign Harry Kin was standing at his opts consol running a diagnostic when he disappeared.

"Bridge to Captain Janeway." rang the calm and cool voice of Lieutenant Tuvok. Katheryn was just about to start lunch, tapped her commbadge and replied,

"Yes Tuvok."

"Sir, we have an emergency; Ensign Kim has disappeared."

The senior staff was seated around the meeting table in the main meeting room. The lights flickered ever so slightly as the mysterious shortages continued around them. The atmosphere was subdued as Captain Janeway strolled into the room, her face deadly serious as she looked around the room. Tom Paris looked calm, but she knew he was concerned; B'Elanna looked ready to kill the next person that spoke. Janeway knew she would rather be in engineering fixing the problems on the ship, but was glad she was there. Doc was waiting patiently; since no one was injured and all were healthy, he didn't have anything to do and was glad to be in the meeting. Seven looked impatient and bored as she sat straight and waited for the bombshell to drop. Janeway noted that only Chakotay looked serious and determined as her. Nodding her head, she began.

"Alright, what do we know?" Tuvok, who had been on the Bridge at the time, got up and moved to the wall panel, where he pushed a few buttons and an inside view of the Bridge came on. There were digital readings and diagnostics layout on the monitor, showing where everyone was at the time in question.

"As you can see captain, at 1135 hrs Ensign Kim was running a diagnostic on the warp system. 2.5 seconds later, he was gone. I interviewed all the crew who were on the Bridge at the time, and they alike me have no recollection of the event." He touched another button and an internal scan showed with life signs of the whole crew. At precisely 1135 hours, the screen flashed and there was one less life sign. Janeway furrowed hr brow in thought and began walking around the room. She stopped beside Tom and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently for reassurance she didn't feel. Looking back to Tuvok she asked,

"Were there any signs of intruders?"

"No. I have run long range scans of the quadrant and there is no one within 100 light years." At this, Seven spoke,

"We do not know a lot about this part of the Alpha Quadrant. It could be possible there is a new race which is highly advanced in which the Federation knows nothing about. They could have technology which enables then to shield and cloak their life signs and warp signature making it appear as if there is no one there."

Everyone stopped and thought about it. Janeway walked over to the view port, as if expecting to see something there, but none came. Could it be possible? They had been gone for 7 years after all…

"It is possible Captain; I suggest we go to Red Alert." Tuvok stated from the wall. Janeway look to Chakotay, who looked thoughtful.

"Penny for your thoughts Commander?" she asked him. Chakotay looked up startled.

"Well, anything is possible Captain. F there is a new race with that kind of technology, and then we have to be careful. But I think Red Alert is a bit much, we don't want them to know we're on to them."

"I agree. We'll go to yellow alert for now. I want a deck by deck sweep of the ship, Kim may still be onboard, but has lost his commbadge. As for the power shortages, I want a full diagnostic on the ship; there has to be a simple explanation. Is that all?"

The staff shook their heads, knowing how serious the situation was. After dismissing her staff, Janeway turned around and faced the stars, concern etched on her face. She had lost another member of the crew; after 7 year they had all become family. She felt like a mother to them, watching them grow and mature into adults. Closing her eyes she pictured all those who couldn't be there with them; Kes, growing into a beautiful woman, leaving the ship to find herself. Neelix, who had become an Ambassador to the Delta Quadrant and now, lived with his own people, finding love and happiness. Her heart grew heavy as she thought of those who have passed away, never to se their loved ones again. Sighing, she pressed her head against the cool glass.

"Katheryn?" a voice directly behind her said softly. Turning, she looked into the deep opal eyes of her first officer and smiled sadly.

"I know." She replied, answering his unsaid remark. She knew everything would work out, but when?

Harry Kim opened his eyes, only to close them again as the bright yellow light invaded his senses. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but from the way his body didn't hurt, he thought only a few hours. Allowing his other senses to become adjusted to his situation, he listened intently for any signs of where he was. It was silent, except for the chirping coming from his far left. Risking another glance, he opened his eyes, squinting into the brightness and called out,

"Who are you? Why did you take me?"

Silence. Sighing he was about to close his eyes when he felt two sharp pokes on his eyes lids, forcing them to stay open. The bonds on his wrists tightened and he felt himself rise into the air, the yellow light surrounding him completely. Knowing that shouting would be useless, Kin became quiet and waited for what was to come. However, nothing came and he knew he was in trouble. Not panicking, he waited.

Janeway was in her ready room, trying to concentrate on the reports in front of her. It was late at night now, almost 2300 hours, yet she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Just as she was about to grab a coffee from her replicator, the door chimed, announcing a visitor.

"Come." She said as she rose up and tried to look alert. Chakotay walked in, holding a PADD in his hand and a concerned look on his face. She frowned, knowing what was to come. Coming to a stop in front of her, he began,

"Captain, we found something odd in the last scan. It seems there was a power surge in the main deflector 5 seconds before Ensign Kim disappeared. After further scans, Seven was able to discern it was a transporter signature." His voice drifted off as she read the report, her brow furrowed in though.

"It seems Seven was right. What else do we know? Are they a race the Federation knows about?" Shaking his head, he replied softly,

"We're not sure Captain. If we were within distance of the nearest star base, we would be able to make a comparison. As it is, we have no way of knowing."

"We're as blind as a bat in daylight then." She said softly to herself as she looked at him. She could see the frustration building in Chakotays eyes. Placing a calming hand n his arm, she felt him relax as she looked into his eyes. Suddenly she smirked. Quirking an eyebrow, Chakotay asked,

"What's so funny?" Squeezing his arm gently, she said with a bit of flirtatiousness.

"Normally you're the one calming me down; instead I'm calming you down." Chakotay chuckled and leaned against her desk, watching as she walked over to the replicator and got a coffee. Turning back, she was taken by him. There had always been this attraction between them, however they were forbidden to have a relationship, but deep inside she didn't care anymore. She knew she was ready to take it to the next step; it was obvious by the way she shamelessly flirted with him in public. She pictured herself walking up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling his hands slide over her hips. She smiled as she imagined her lifting her face towards his, their breath mingling together as their hearts began to race in the unbidden passion. A blush went to her cheeks as she imagined their lips brushing against each other, the bridge finally crossed. Shaking her head, she condoned herself for thinking those thoughts and felt another deeper blush come to her cheeks as he watched her.

"What?" she asked as she sat down on her couch overlooking the stars. He just shook his had, knowing what she had been thinking and sat down beside her, their bodies mere inches apart. Without thinking, she took his hand in hers, not really caring. They were off duty after all.

"Nothing. I was just thinking of the last time I saw you smile like that." He replied gently, watching her closely. Chuckling, Katheryn replied,

"I think it was 2 years ago, during Neelix's New Years Eve party." The memories came flooding back to her. That was an interesting night, and one she'd never forget. She heard him chuckle beside her and smirked. Then she became serious again, squeezing his hand gently and moved closer.

"Are we ever going to get home without loosing more of our family?"

Chakotay moved his arm and put it around her shoulder, giving her personal reassurance as he spoke.

"I can't say what will happen Katheryn, but I do know that you have people on this ship that will do anything for you. They want to get home and will do anything it takes. They know the risks. And hey don't blame you for anything.

"I know, but sometimes it feels as if I failed them. I promised to take them all home. I left too many of them in the Delta Quadrant. Their spirits are stuck on that black space, and their families' won't rest until their home."

"Katheryn, no matter how you look at it, that crew are with us now, guiding us and helping us. Their family understood the risk, and knew what would possibly happen." He felt her relax and knew she was still upset. He knew she was a powerfully strong woman on the outside, but on the inside, she was a weak, sensitive woman who needed love and support. Getting into a more comfortable position he looked at Katheryn and saw she had fallen asleep as he was talking. Feeling a bit tired himself he hugged Katheryn closer to himself, smirking as she cuddled up to him, her hand now on his chest. Closing his eyes, he too soon fell asleep.

On the Bridge all was quiet; it was now the last shift of the night, the late shift, where Ensign Kim would have been in the Captains chair. Now however, it was Lieutenant Paris who sat there trying not to think about his 1 month old daughter who was sleeping soundly in their quarters. Miral was born when they arrived in the Alpha quadrant. Technically, she was born in the transwarp hub halfway between the Alpha and Delta quadrant, but Doc felt it was appropriate to place her birthplace as the Alpha Quadrant and Tom was thankful. He loved the way she cooed as she looked at him as he held her close, the way she slept like an angel. He wanted to give her the word; or at least a small part of it.

"Sir, I'm detecting a minor disturbance in the Captain Ready Room." An Ensign said from the Tactical station. Tom rose from his chair and tapped his commbadge, praying his worst fear wasn't coming at last.

"Paris to Janeway." He stated, fear trying to escape his lips.

Nothing.

Trying Chakotay and getting the same response, Tom went into action. Having the Ensign call the senior staff and going to Red Alert, Tom went to the Ready Room and signaled entrance. After receiving no reply, he tapped the command code for entrance and waited for Tuvok to come. Once Tuvok was ready and gave the signal, Tom stepped forward only to find the room empty.

The Captain and Commander were gone.


	3. Chapter 3

She woke up groggily, not knowing where she was. It was dark and cold, that's all she knew. The last thing she remembered was sitting in the Ready Room on Voyager. Her muscles ached slightly under the strain of the restraints which she now noticed on her wrists. Beside her hung Chakotay, his voice groggy as he woke up, noticing where they were.

"Kathryn?" He asked, looking into the darkness which surrounded them.

"I'm here Chakotay, wherever here is." She stated, trying to release herself from the bonds. Now that her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, she noticed they were in a ten foot by ten foot by twenty foot room, with no view ports or doors that she could see. The ceiling rose above them, making it appear gigantean. She stopped struggling once she realized they were trapped.

"Chakotay, we need to think of an escape." Kathryn's mind began to reel with ways of escaping their prison. Of course, it would help if they knew where they were and who had held them captive. Chakotay must have felt the same, for he replied,

"Right now, we need to know who is keeping us captive. Then we can hopefully devise a plan of escape, find Harry and go home."

Kathryn sighed, knowing he was right. She relaxed under her bonds, feeling her feet dangle helplessly beneath her.

Meanwhile Ensign Harry Kim hung in his chamber, not one hundred yards away from his Captain and Commander. The light pounded in his temples. The hours dragged slowly, driving his brain into overdrive, wondering when he was going to see his captives.

"Hello Ensign." A voice said softly to his right, startling him. It sounded eerily familiar.

"Seven?" He asked, perspiration dripping into his eyes, stinging them. A figure loomed in front of him, his vision blurred as he tried to squint to see who it was.

"I do not know this Seven you speak of. I am Zulok'nor of the Vedexians. A mighty race which rules over this part of the galaxy. We travel around and take those who are unworthy of living, give them tests to see if they survive. If they do, they can leave."

"You are very lucky Ensign; you will be the first to participate in our tests in over twenty years." The figure known as Zulok'nor laughed as he walked past Harry. Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise as he watched this creature.

"What are you going to do?" he asked calmly, though deep inside him he was terrified. It wasn't the first time he had been taken prisoner, memories came unbidden in his mind as he remembered the past seven years in the Delta Quadrant.

The figure didn't say anything as it appeared behind him, placing a round circular object onto Harry's head. Immediately pain erupted in his body, enveloping his body. He cried out, gritting his teeth as wave after wave pounded him. After what seemed like hours, but was only seconds the pain stopped as fast as it had begun. Breathing heavily, Harry wheezed as his heart slowed his body raging with a hidden fire. The figure laughed gleefully as he waked away, leaving Harry surrounded by yellow light.

Voyager was a flourish of activity as the crew ran scans for any signs of their missing co-workers. All hopes for a happy and safe return to Earth were shattered as the morale decreased in volume. Even the ship was mellow as it hung in space, its deflector dish shining, sending out a distress call for anyone to hear. There was not much to do though; there were no signs of any ship in the area for light years. After a thorough scan of the Ready Room, scans showed that the Captain and Commander were on the couch when they were taken, but that was all.

On the Bridge, the mood was contrite even sad as the crew worked on getting the ship back to 100. B'Elanna had been able to restore the power back to full, enabling herself more time to work on the warp engines. Tuvok had his team running hourly security checks and drills and ordered every member of the team to wear a phaser. Tom was bored out of his mind since he wasn't needed on the Bridge and decided to take a break to the Holodeck where he would relax and think. He blamed himself for Harry's capture. He knew Harry could handle anything that happened though; as for the Captain and Commander he wasn't worried, he knew they would get out alive.

Harry was finally feeling better after his first shock; the metal spherical object was still on his head with no way of removing it. Hours had passed since his first shock, and he knew it wouldn't be his last. The yellow light was blinding as he moved his head, looking for any entrances or sign of his capture.

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse the light got brighter and a rhythmic hum sounded through the room as an instrument descended from the ceiling. It was a long, metallic pole, round enough to put a single strand of hair inside. It stopped inches away from his neck, and an even thinner needle extended from it, piercing his skin. Grimacing, Harry tried pulling away as the metallic pole ascended slightly, this time piercing his temple.

"What's going on?" he wondered to himself as the pole ascended fully into the yellow light. Just then something strange happened, his restraints were released and Harry began walking towards an exit which appeared from nowhere, not knowing he was about to do something he never thought possible.

The darkness continued to surround them as a figure walked into the room, unnoticed by the two suspended over the ground. It had been a few hours now and Chakotay's mind was strangely calm. He knew what would come would come and when it did, Kathryn would be ready.

He didn't notice the figure standing over them; didn't notice the metallic shape in its hand as it swung towards Kathryn. She grunted as it hit home, the muscles in her mid section tightening painfully, almost ripping from the impact. Taking a deep breath to clam the pain, she spoke,

"Who are you?"

There was no response as the object connected again; this time there was a sickening crack and she sucked in breath as the pain threatened to overtake her. She could hear Chakotay rattling his restraints, trying to get to her, but without concern for his safety.

"We can work this out. Who are you and why have you taken us hostage?" her only answer was another attack with the deadly weapon. Suddenly, the attacker stopped, leaving Kathryn slumped in her bonds, her body ablaze with pain.

"Kathryn, are you alright?" Chakotay said concern evident in his voice. She could tell he was feeling her pain empathically; it was almost as if they shared the same spirit, same mind. She turned to his voice and smiled weakly,

"I've been better to be honest. Whoever it was sure is strong. Did you get a sense of who it was?" her breath was a bit shaky as she spoke. His heart went out to her as he replied,

"I'm afraid not. I did notice an aroma coming from the figure though. I can't place where I know it form though." He sounded disappointed.

"It's okay Chakotay." She stopped to cough and let the pain reside a bit. "I'm sure we'll know eventually." Deep inside though, she hoped it would be sooner.

They watched from the shadows, their mysterious glowing eyes dancing with delight as they witnessed the assault on the Captain. Th creatures, known only as the Vedexians clicked their pincers happily was Harry finished, a calm expression on his youthful face and walked away.

"It would seem he's not as strong as you thought Hex'lerz." The matriarch sneered at his collogues. Zulok'nor smirked, his worm-like lips wrapping around his hooked tongue.

"Don't be silly; it's still early yet. I have a feeling he will fight it faster than we hope. But, we have a surprise for him if he does. Smirking again, the Vedexian sat back and watched, waiting.

Harry had no inclination of what he had done. All he knew was he had been in the bright room, restrained and sore the whole time, going blind from the light. In reality he had just come back from his attack.

"Sir, I'm picking up a distress call." The Ensign at the Opts said as she looked at Tuvok. Commander Tuvok was sitting at the center seat, his face stoic as usual as he replied,

"On screen."

An image of an alien appeared; the figure stood about six feet tall, with feeler on its head. Its eyes were a mysterious green, which seemed to glow with an ominous light. The alien seemed to sneer as it looked to the screen, a sense of danger emanating from it. It's worm-like mouth opened and it spoke,

"Our ship is in danger; our warp drive is down, we are powerless and are being attacked." The image shook as the ship rocked against a strong barrage. Tuvok quirked an eyebrow as he tried to assess the situation.

"We are the Vedexians; a race which resides in the furthest reaches of the galaxy. Please, we are a peaceful race and cannot defend ourselves properly. We need help!"

The screen shook again, suddenly going back to the star speckled screen. Leaning in for a closer look, Tuvok watched as an enormous ship appeared, being blasted by a much smaller ship. The larger ship was oval in shape, with two long glorious nacelles looming above ir attached only by two small cylindrical poles with flashing green lights. The black color of the ship contrasted with the blackness of space, making it appear to be shimmering in its own light. The smaller, silver ship hung underneath the larger ship, firing red blasts of released energy which seemed to shake with each blast.

"Red alert." Tuvok announced calmly as he got up from his chair, his eyes calm and his voice controlled. Immediately the bridge was bathed in a blue light, red emergency lights flashing to the rhythm of the sirens.

"Raise the Vedexians." The screen reverted back to the Vedexian who was now sitting in his chair, chest heaving as black smoke poured from the darkened consoles around him.

"I am Commander Tuvok of the Starship Voyager. Who are you being attacked by?"

The Vedexian coughed, and replied anxiously,

"They are the Numba's. A mighty race which rules this area of the Quadrant. They are strong and relentless. We have been in conflict with them for centuries. They demand we give ourselves up and become their slaves, but we resist."

Tuvok's eyebrow quirked upwards in a confused gesture. He had a dilemma now; help out the Vedexians and break the Prime Objective, or ignore their call for help and move on to finding the Captain and commander. Something didn't match up with him though, and he turned and hit some buttons on his console, cutting the alien out of the conversation.

"Ensign, is there any signs of a disturbance in this area?" He asked the woman at the Opts, who was working hard. Running a quick scan, she replied,

"Sir, there's no one out there but the Vedexians…" Her voice trailed off suddenly.

"Ensign?"

"Sir. Sir, the Vedexians are lying to us, they have powerful weapons of their own. I'm detecting 10 Phasers and 20 torpedo launchers, as well as something our computers can't identify.

"It seems we have a mystery on our hands." Tom quirked from the Con; his eyes glaring at the viewscreen.

The Bridge became quiet as the seriousness of the situation hit them. They were outnumbered by a long shot, and with the possibility of their commanding team aboard that ship, they needed a plan of action that would not only save them, but also the Federation.

Authors note: I was unsure of where to end this chapter; I left a lot of questions unanswered for a purpose. Stay tuned for more!


	4. Chapter 4

The Bridge shook as the photon torpedo hit its target sending waves of sparks in all directions. Smoke loomed over the heads of the crew as they struggled to run to their stations. Injured crew huddled near the Turbo-lift waiting to be taken to Sick Bay.

At the Command Center all was business-like as the crew working in unison. "Full shields, fire back!" Lieutenant Commander Tuvok called out over the klaxons. Smoke rose in all directions as Ensign Tom Paris eased the mighty starship around the Vedexian cruiser.

"Sir, they got through our shields, hull breach on decks 10, 11 and 12 Sir. Force fields are holding." The Ensign at the Opts called out as she ducked more sparks from her console.

The battle had started right after Voyager stopped communications with the Vedexians .The Vedexians began blasting mercilessly at the ship, drawing phaser power from their mighty warp core which was amazingly protected by their shielding which seemed impenetrable. Voyager fought back, sending photon torpedoes their way, but only causing minimal damage to their hull. It seemed hopeless that Voyager would win, but suddenly the Vedexians stopped firing and went into warp.

A thick fog of smoke hung over the Bridge as repair crew started repairing the damage. Tuvok stood beside the command chair, his hand resting on the head rest as she looked at the viewscreen with piercing eyes.

"Senior staff meeting in ten minutes." He said calmly as he walked towards the Observatory, not looking back.

----X----

The light was starting to bother Ensign Kim as he tried in vain to stop the pounding which his head was taking. His muscles were aching under the stress of his bonds and he was getting extremely hungry. He thought about what had just happened, his mind foggy from the light. The metallic object on his head hadn't shocked him in hours, and he was thankful for that. Now if only he could escape from his prison and find a way back to Voyager everything would be alright.

He was beginning to fall asleep when Zulok'nor came back, this time followed by two others who all looked the same as the other Vedexians he had unfortunately met.

"Your comrades are formidable opponents." Zulok'nor said in his eerie voice as he stopped and stared at Ensign Kim, who glared back the best he could.

"Bet they kicked your butt." Kim mumbled under his breath, too sore to talk properly.

Zulok'nor laughed, the sound piercing Kim's eardrums like knifes. "No, they ran like little Frak'los." He said sneering.

"I don't…believe you." Kim said, wincing slightly as the pain began to get worse. It seemed that every time a Vedexian came near him, the object on his head would pulse slightly, emitting a strange ringing sound in his ears.

"Believe what you may, but we know you're a bunch of cowards." Zulok'nor sneered, coming within inches from Kims' face.

Kim was about to answer when the object on his head grew in intensity. The pain was excruciating and he screwed his eyes in pain as he gritted his teeth. "You'll…pay…for…this…" he stammered before he began screaming in pain.

In the other room Captain Kathryn Janeway's head shot up as she listened to the piercing scream from the next room. Her eyebrows were raised into her hairline as she recognized it. "Harry!" she called out, knowing it was futile. She turned to look at Chakotay, who was looking around for the source of the noise. His face looked concerned though she couldn't see due to the pitch blackness surrounding them.

"It's him Kathryn, I know it." He said gently, his voice filled with concern

"I know it's him too Chakotay, well at last we know where he is, now how do we get out of here?" she asked, her voice full of determination again as she began fiddling with her restraints.

"There's a door five feet away from us. It opened when your attacker came in before. On the outside there looks to be a long corridor going straight. If we could get these restraints off then maybe we could find a way to escape and get back onto Voyager." He stopped as the ship they were on suddenly lurched. "On second though, it feels like they just stopped moving, so that means they're either making repairs or are with another ship."

"Very astute assumption Chakotay; it's good to know you haven't lost your touch after so long." Janeway said with a smirk. She rattled her restraints a little bit more, feeling on coming loose. Gritting her teeth, she whooped softly as it slipped off. Working quickly she began to work with her free hand on the other restraint. This one was trickier though, and dug into her wrist as she fiddled with it.

"Just a bit more…yes!" she said softly as the other restraint came off and she fell to the ground gently. She groaned a bit as her ribs took a small beating but stood up and grinned.

"That's how you break out of a bad situation." She said, putting her hands on her hips. She heard Chakotay chuckling quietly in the darkness and went up to him. She smelt his scent before she felt him and slowly moved her hands up his body before coming up to his restraints, working cat-like to take them off. Slowly, and with practiced ease they were off and she found herself in his strong grip, holding her steady as he took in a deep breath.

"My hero." He breathed as he kissed her hair, breathing in the vanilla fragrance. Before she let him go further she pulled back, pacing a finger to his lips and said,

"Now, let's get out of here."

The quickly broke off and began searching in the darkness for an escape route, or a door they could open.

Hex'lerz watched appreciatively as the Captain and Commander escaped their restraints a smirk on his face. If only they knew what they were getting themselves into he thought as thy slowly fund the door and started prying it open. All was going according to plan. He pushed a button on his consol and watched as the boy Kim seemed to go into a daze and walk out of his room, ready to pounce when the time was right.

The door opened with a small whoosh and Katheryn gestured for Chakotay to take a look outside. She moved to the side as his body appeared in the little light and she could see his features edged with anger and…fear?

"Chakotay?" she asked quietly as he carefully peeked out the door then looked back at her, his eyes empty of emotions. He shook his head, eyebrow quirking upwards and replied,

"It's clear. No guards or anything as far as the eye can see."

Katheryn frowned. That wasn't normal she thought as she carefully peeked outside too. The corridor was dimly lit with a grayish light, which seemed to dance slightly. The walls were rounded, about 10 feet high. The ceiling was shrouded in darkness so it was undetermined how high it was exactly. Frowning, Janeway made a quick decision and gave Chakotay a nod. Slowly they moved out of their prison and started going in the only direction they could; straight.

Kim didn't know what he was doing or how he was walking. According to him, he was still inside his prison, the light blaring in his face and the object on his head pounding his skull in. His mind was blank and his face void of emotions as he spotted his Captain and Commander coming towards him. All he could think of was how badly he wanted to hurt them. Suddenly his mind began to race with thoughts of vengeance as he ran full tilt towards his comrades, his fists raised and ready for action.

"Harry!" Janeway said in shock as she watched him barrel down on them, his fists swinging wildly. She ducked as his fist almost made contact with her jaw and rolled on the ground away from him her face full of shock.

"Katheryn, watch out!" Chakotay called as he jumped over Kims head, trying to determine what Harry was up to. He stayed low on the ground, watching Harrys' face for any signs of recognition, but none was there. He noticed an object shine on Harrys head and quickly determined that was the cause of Harrys' unyielding attack. He only had seconds to think on his feet as Harry came raining on him, fists flailing and feet kicking. He tried rolling away from him but Harry held on firm with his knees, pinning him to the ground.

Chakotay groaned as the fists made contact. The kid may be small, but he had fire in his punches he thought as he covered his face from the onslaught.

"Harry, stop its Chakotay!" he said stumbling his words as Harrys' fist connected with his jaw. He felt the bone break and groaned. Having enough, he pulled Harry off and rolled to the side, his hand going to tenderly touch his jaw. Harry sneered hi face emotionless as he turned and went for Janeway who went into a cat-like stance, ready to defend herself if need be.

"Harry, please don't do this." She said gently, once she saw that he was out of his own control. She knew diplomacy would be the only was out of this and knew where to start.

"Harry, we're here to rescue you. You don't want to hurt us, do you?" He advanced slowly upon her, his fist raised, a dangerous gleam in his eye. He stopped for a split second, doubt appearing on his face as he looked at her pleading eyes, than shook his head and pounced.

"Captain…" he said in a tiny, sorrow-filled voice as he landed hard on her, his knee driving into her abdomen, causing her to moan in pain as she tried to roll out of the way.

"Harry, think about this; why are you suddenly attacking us? They're doing this to you; it's something about the object on your head, its hypnotizing you somehow. Take it off Harry!" she stammered through the intense pain.

He glared at her, smirking evilly as he shook his head. "No Captain, it's not this object. I've wanted to do this for a long time. It's your fault we're stuck here in, lost. You said you'd get us home, but are we there yet? No!" she punched her again, his fist connecting with her temple. "No we're stuck in the out skirts of the Alpha Quadrant, a year out from Earth, and it's all your fault!" he cried out, his face contorting into a miserable grimace as he stood back, his foot raising slowly towards her face.

Behind them, Chakotay was on his feet, glancing at his one love and wincing as Harrys words rang out over the deserted corridor. He knew this was not the true Harry Kim; the true Harry would never say those things. He might have in the past, when they were first brought into the Delta Quadrant but not now. He had grown too much to go back to his young angry self now. Chakotay now knew what he had to do; he had to stop him from hurting Katheryn and get that round object off his head. Once it was gone, he knew Harry would be back to normal.

Slowly, and with practiced ease Chakotay snuck up on Kim, wincing as he watched Katheryn trying in vain to break away from him. When he was within inches from them, he pounced, knocking Harry off of her and threw him into the wall. "Sorry Harry, but it's for your own good." Chakotay said softly as he held the struggling Kim at arms length and went to remove the object. Just as his fingers touched the surface an electrical charge went through it, knocking both Chakotay and Harry to the ground.

"Chakotay, Harry!" Katheryn called out as she struggled to run over, almost falling in her attempt to get to them. Gingerly she stooped before them, gingerly rubbing her side and watched as they withered in pain. The object on Harrys head pulsed with a bright white light before stopping, and an eerie silence hung over them as they took deep breaths, calming themselves down.

Harry didn't know how he ended up underneath Chakotay, who was moaning slightly, holding his head as he struggled to look up. He didn't remember anything of the past ten minutes, in which he had come out of his room, attacked the Captain and Commander and wound up in incredible pain lying on the floor, confused as ever.

"Cap…Captain, Commander?" He asked groggily, frowning as he shook his head, clearing the stars which were buzzing around his vision. He watched as Chakotay got off of him, and sat heavily no the ground rubbing his head. "What's going on?" he asked confused.

"That's what I'd like to know. What do you remember Harry?" Janeway asked, kneeling beside him, a large purple bruise on her left cheek.

Harry frowned, his face sore from where it hit the floor and replied, "Not much Captain. I remember being kidnapped and being held in a room full of bright light which kept on getting brighter. After that it gets a bit foggy." He stopped and looked at her. "How did you get here?" he asked incredulously.

"We have no idea. One minute we were in the Ready Room, the next in a dark room restrained. An unknown assailant came in and assaulted me than disappeared. Do you know who they are?" She asked, shaking her head a bit as she started to get up, adrenalin rushing through her veins. She grabbed the wall for support as vertigo threatened to overwhelm her.

"They call themselves the Vedexians Captain. A "Race which roams the quadrant searching for those who are unworthy of them, make them do horrible tests. If they pass, they live. If not…" he let the answer hang in the air as he struggled to get up, the metal object digging into his skin. Grimacing he touched it gently but wasn't surprised when nothing happened. He waited until Chakotay slowly got up, extending a hand in help, pulling him the rest of the way so he was leaning on the wall and asked,

"Any ideas on how to get out of here?"

Chakotay shook his head, the pain subsiding quickly as he leaned against the wall, nodding to Harry in thanks. His brow creased as he looked down the long corridor, no end seemed to be in sight as the grayish light seemed to dim the farther away it went.

"We should keep going straight, we have no choice. We might come across an exit or at least find a room with a communications array to use." He said, scratching his head. Janeway nodded and looked back at Harry.

"Are you alright to move?" She asked, concern etching in her voice.

"Yes Ma'am." He said in a determined voice he didn't feel. He moved away from the wall, standing as straight as his tired muscles would allow and waited for further instructions. Chakotay moved to be closer to the Captain and together they set off down the corridor looking for the unknown.

Hex'lerz cursed under his breath as he watched the trio walk down the corridor together. He had thought the boy would have finished his quest with ease; murdering his Commanding Officers in a blaze of punches, but no, that annoying Commander had to sneak up and touch the cylinoid. That was a very expensive piece of technology they had acquired from a stupid race in the Gamma Quadrant years ago; it allowed the user complete control over the victims bodily functions and mind, erasing their memory of the horrible events they were forced to do.

The ship set gracefully onto the ramp which overlooked the peaceful worked of Vedexia. All around them blue trees were beginning to bloom, purple buds glistening majestically on the branches like little twinkling stars. On the horizon, the orange sun was just rising up from the mountain tops. The white fluffy clouds moved swiftly with the oncoming breeze which whipped the green leaf on the trees. Beyond the landing ramp young children were playing on the yellow grass, running around laughing gleefully. Hex'lerz shorted; oh if they only knew the danger of what they were facing he thought as he radioed in, letting his Captain know all was going according to plan.

If his Captain ever found out he let three hostages get away and run loose in his ship…well he didn't want to think about it.

"What do we know?" Tuvok asked as he sat ramrod straight at the head of the table in the Observations Lounge. Around him Tom sat next to B'Elanna, with Doc standing at the back twiddling his thumbs. The Senior Staff was silent as they thought of the horrors that the Captain Chakotay and Harry must be going through before Tom spoke up,

"We know a bunch of hoodlums think they can just take our crew without asking permission first." He sid, cocking an eyebrow.


End file.
